The hands of the clock keep ticking, the year has turned another click on the Earth’s axis, the gong has sounded out the change another year has brought.
It is so easy to let the old slip out of memory and fade unacknowledged into the past. So suddenly gone, so suddenly forgotten.
Well, that’s why you have me — the town crier — to call “Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Don’t forget the past before it forgets you.”
Let us celebrate the passing of giants and welcome the new aspirants in the race. Today’s focus: restaurants.
Yes, let us take our hats off to two mainstays on our scene that dematerialized in 2023. The Willows — aka The Willow Rest — left our palates calling longingly for its wonderful tastes and textures. One of the most unique little businesses we’ve ever had, typical of the “everybody knows you” feeling that some special businesses maintain throughout their trajectory. Even if they didn’t know you, it sure felt like they did. Warm, bustling, loud, familiar — a fantastic sit-down section to eat in its very old-fashioned environment, it did even more take-out orders to an appreciative regular crowd. Willow Rest also sold fun, yummy larder items to put on your shelf and fantasize about eating. It was the meeting place of North Glosta and the place could sometimes be a madhouse — but that only added to the fun. Terrific burgers … all the gooey sandwiches, really. Great, friendly, loud management. There’s an empty hole in our hearts where it used to be on the road to Annisquam. What a loss.
Equally boisterous and always crowded at breakfast time was Sugar Magnolias on Main Street. It was the victim of burst pipes of another tenant above it. Someone was underinsured (the restaurant, the the tenant or the landlord?) and Sugar Mags wasn’t made whole. The business was ruined. The same thing happened to Musician Magazine in the Andrews Plumbing Building in 1980 when a frozen sprinkler system exploded, ruining all our equipment and complete stock of back issues. No insurance was ever paid but it allowed us to break the lease and move into Harold Bell’s Curran printing building (next to where the hotel is now) for 14 years. Sugar Mags did terrific regular business with lunch, too, for downtown workers. The salmon chowder and Mediterranean salad were noteworthy as was the friendliness of the staff and owner, Missy. The word on the street is that Missy is plotting a return to Main Street, perhaps up near the old Dog Bar/White Rainbow locale. I’ll be first in line.
Both deserve a tip of the hat as do a couple of others that snuck away during the COVID-19 pandemic but were not really noted. The Outrigger/Madfish and Duckworth’s Bistro were twi of them. Duckworth’s still does daily, regular take-out food, cooked fresh daily and sold from refrigerated cases right to your lip-smacking face. It’s not the same as the old Duckworth’s sit-down, but a very close second.
Captain Hook’s Pizza, a mainstay in its neighborhood, also dimmed its lights. My coaching partner on the Gloucester High School sail team still hasn’t gotten over it.
Also gone, but soon back was Captain Carlo’s, rechristened Decklyn’s, on Harbor Loop. Same idea, different folks, less rowdy, still fried everything. Ditto the Rudder on Rocky Neck: Same plan, but a way sparser layout, a little snootier and ka-ching on the prices.
But change will ever out. Main Street saw the coming of Bravo, which made a smashing imprint on our pizza choices. Generous to a fault, their pizzas are loaded and sport truly excellent cheeses. Very moderately priced, perfect size for a couple.
Oak & Ember Restaurant also appeared in the old brewery locale right by St.Peter’s parking lot. Quite a few changes to the lay-out and the mostly ribs menu. IT arrived in ’22 but belongS in this conversation.
Also new and fun is The Salted Cod on Rocky Neck, next door to the Rudder. Very popular among the residents, It is crowded, energized and pizazz-y (as my old mudder used to say). But don’t look for a chair because it only was allowed 12 seats — but no one seems to care. Very vibrant.
The two biggest new entrants are The Cut and The Lobster.
The Lobster of Gloucester is sited on the old Bob’s Clam Shack. A wonderful warm wood layout, great fried clams, packed with family folks, a surfeit of bathrooms, The Lobster is an extension of Tessa Deering and Ryan Browne’s booming fresh seafood business (Cape Ann Lobstermen) and the food practically crawls onto your plate it is so fresh. A great addition in a location made for it.
Additionally, The Cut has opened on Main Street in the old CVS space. There was no food being served at this party, so no opinion on that. Plus the 500 seat theater was not yet open to peek at. But it is an ambitious bet in a familiar spot. There is a separate dancing space in the main bar and restaurant. Stay tuned.
So welcome one and all. A terrific salute to the departed, and a welcoming wave to the incoming. Now eat up, everybody.